


I will find you, no matter what

by RelilaRamblr



Category: Max Steel (TV 2013)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Happy Ending, Gen, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:27:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27614144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RelilaRamblr/pseuds/RelilaRamblr
Summary: This idea was given to me by Meggieh867. Some of the key points they asked for were a field trip through Max’s mind, a younger Max, and some Angst.
Relationships: Max McGrath | Max Steel & Steel (Max Steel)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 7





	I will find you, no matter what

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Meggieh867](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meggieh867/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unplanned villainous team up and a single moment of vulnerability leads to a pretty dire injury

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is lighter on the Angst, as it's mostly a setup chapter but we'll get there I promise.
> 
> Also, I never claimed to be got at combat scenes.

“I still don’t understand why Toxzon and Dread decided to work together.” Steel pulsed from his place on the Steel suite.

“I’m not sure they are,” Max dodged a toxic projectile, and it landed on Dread who let out a bellow of rage. “They don’t seem too happy to see each other.”

“Hmm, point taken. Behind you!” Steel forced the suite to drop, dragging down its wearer with it. Dread flew overhead, inches from them. He whirled in midair to face them. “Them not working together makes it harder on us though. We’re fighting two battles rather than one.” Steel noted.

“Yeah. Do you think we can turn them against each other? You know like make them hit each other?”

“Possible, not likely though. We’d have to get the timing just right and with someone as sporadic as Toxzon and in control as Dread that is nearly impossible. Fun idea though.”

Max laughed a little and sending a thought to his partner as he flew away from the two men. Not leaving the battle but giving himself some distance. A few minutes later C.Y.T.R.O arrived with a squad of N-Tech agents and tossed the pair the Turbo sword. “Alright bubby, you know the plan?” Max tucked the weapon to his side, out of sight.

Steel buzzed out yes at the same time Berto spoke over the coms. “Nope, but it’s good to know you have one. It’s a nice surprise.”

“Haha, very funny,” Max told his friend, before racing back to the fight. Dread saw him coming and blasted off the rock he had been resting on. When they were only a few feet apart and rapidly closing the distance, Steel unlinked from the suite and locked onto the Turbo sword. The blade slammed into their opponent. It sliced through the enemy suite and the force of the blow sent Dread crashing backward.

It shook Max’s arms too, and he almost dropped the weapon. He gritted his teeth and forced his arms to stop. He turned to face Toxzon and was met with a face full of toxins. “Urgh.” He tried to wipe it around, but his mask was stained. “Oh, I don’t like that. Steel a little help?”

The Ultralink unhooked from the sword and started to link back into the suite. “Let’s get that cleaned up. A quick-change ought to it.”

“Alright, let's go Turbo Speed!” the pair separated for a split second before reconnecting and falling. “Go Turbo, Fight!”

They disconnected and at that moment everything went wrong. A spray of toxin hit them, drenching Steel. Dread had recovered out of sight and used his last bit of energy to throw himself at the boy. He tried to grab Steel, but he slipped through his fingers. “MAX!” the alien yelled.

Dread flattened the boy against a rock formation and Max slid down it, unconscious. C.Y.T.R.O zoomed past Steel and shot at the looming figure. Dread muttered darkly under his breath, but he was still too injured from the blade to his chest to stay and so he limped away from the rain of projectiles. Max was completely still on the ground. Steel caught up with the robot and they landed together. “Hey, max. Max? Max wake up!” Steel prodded the boy but got no reaction.

“He hit pretty hard.” Berto spoke through C.Y.T.R.O. “And his suite wasn’t in a mode to take that kind of hit.”

Steel bobbed up and down to show he understood. Because Max had been in the middle of transforming when he’d been slammed the suite had retained its speed mode. Steel hovered over it, trying to hook to it. It was harder than it should have been, even if Max was unconscious. After several minutes of struggling, he finally managed it. Max?! Max, please answer me! Ma-“aahhh!”

Steel jerked away from the suite, a few sparks of turbo energy flickering behind him. That along with his cry of pain caused C.Y.T.R.O to lean back. “Steel what is it?” Berto asked through the speaker.

“I- I don’t know.” Steel spun around to look at the still figuring clad in speed mode. “His mind- I don’t know if it was the hit or the toxins but it's- I don’t know how to describe it. All I know is he needs help.” The robot nodded and scooped the boy up. Steel made out a faint click that meant the young man was speaking had switched speaking through C.Y.T.R.O. to the earpieces that the other N-Tech agents wore. The Ultralink trailed along after them, slightly dazed from the brief chaotic connection. He forced himself to focus on finding the words to describe it. Forge wasn’t likely to take 'I can’t describe it’s as an answer the way Berto had.

Max had shown him some old VCR tapes once. They hadn’t been in the best condition, and it had hurt to watch them for very long. That was kinda what Max’s mind had been like, Steel decided. Memories, old and new, had seemed to fast forward and rewind at random. Parts of them had fuzzed-out and skipped around. The sound and colors had faded in and out, somethings loud and sometimes soft. A sharp gasp and startled cry drew him from his thoughts, and he floated into C.Y.T.R.O. The bot had stopped in front of an N-Tech jet and standing on the boarding lamp were Berto and Jim. The young man seemed to be taking the sight of his younger friend slightly better, likely because he had seen it through his invention.

Jim opened his mouth, but Steel cut him off. “He needs medical attention, now. I can barely get a read on him,” he tried to and noticed that Max’s heart rate had dropped. He should have been aware of that as soon as it happened. “Help him. Now. His heartrates dropped.”

Berto rushed back up the ramp, likely to prep a mini nurse’s station, and C.Y.T.R.O followed. Jim was hot on its heels, Steel next to him.

“How bad?” Jim demanded, voice shaking the slightest bit. He was struggling to be just a commander and now a worried parent right now.

“Bad. Very, very bad.” Steel whispered back, eye straight ahead. 


End file.
